1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the carrying of infants and small children in a manner different from that primarily associated with conventional carriers and/or backpacks.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known and understood, with those infant and small child carriers commercially available, the child faces in towards the parent (as for extra closeness) or faces out to the front (so the child can view the world). Generally designed for children up to 35 lbs. in weight, these carriers oftentimes features such enhancements as ventilated foams for both parent and infant comfort, storage pockets, removable support pillows, padded-seats and removable canopies for protection against the weather. While sometimes configured for dual side entry as contrasted with being placed directly in front against the parent's chest, and sometimes with adjustable seats and/or straps, carriers of this type—whether machine washable or not—all suffer the disadvantage of having to fit the infant or child in to begin with, and to then strap the infant or child in position, which is not something simple and easy to do. As will also be understood, this disadvantage becomes all the more magnified when having to unstrap the infant or child—as to place it down to be diapered, for example—, and then having to pick it back up to be strapped into the carrier once again. And, for larger children where the conventional carrier is too small, placing the child in a backpack for carrying about makes the problem in unstrapping the child, taking it down, and then strapping it back in place for carrying even more complicated. For newborns where the carrying is frequently done in a cradle position, the “taking down” and then the “setting-up” again can easily take a few minutes to accomplish.